In the warm but dimly lit bedroom, a Guangling song gently soothed the old man lying on the bed as it echoed repeatedly.
Time seemed to have passed for a long time, but also seemed to be just a moment. The Guangling song ended, and the old man lying on the bed slowly opened his eyes.
"Are you Wei Ran?" the old man asked feebly.
"It's me." Wei Ran stood up and came to the bedside with the piano in his hands, "Mr. Tao, I brought Youquan to you."
"sit"
Mr. Tao greeted him angrily. After Wei Ran sat on the bedside, he raised a hand with difficulty and gently stroked the guqin Youquan that Wei Ran placed beside his pillow.
"Newly made from ancient materials, the powerful sound makes the player feel strong and can't...can't put it down."
Mr. Tao took a breath and continued, "Although it is not easy to get such a guqin, no matter whether it is a new qin, loose, pan, or pressed, it all has bells, and the four strings are especially majestic. It is very strange. Such a new qin cannot be measured in the future.
Wherever you go."
"This is the record of this harp in the Qin Collection." Wei Ran murmured to himself.
"yes..."
Mr. Tao looked at the guqin beside his pillow with fascination, "I have long heard that kid from Luo Xiang said that his senior brother Wei Ran is very good at playing the guqin, which is quite ancient. I just heard you play half a piece of Guangling San.
I know the kid wasn't exaggerating."
"Mr. Tao is so ridiculous," Wei Ran said modestly. This music was taught by the metal book. He couldn't tell whether it was ancient or not.
"My child, how about playing Guangling San for me again?" Mr. Tao gently patted the iron frame bed under him, "There is a piano table and a futon under the bed."
"It's an honor, may I help you up?"
"I can't sit still, please help me turn over." Mr. Tao said regretfully.
Hearing this, Wei Ran stood up, bent down, and helped the old man turn over so that he was lying on his side with his heart in the upper position.
After glancing at the monitor again, he gently lifted up the bed sheet on one side and pulled out a heavy piano table from under the bed. On the piano table, there was also a futon packed in a plastic bag.
Looking at Mr. Tao with expectant eyes, Wei Ran wiped the dust on the piano table with his sleeves, placed Guqin Youquan on it, and then took out a straw woven bag from the plastic bag that had a lot of dust on it.
futon.
Sitting cross-legged again at the piano table, Wei Ran took off his black suit and threw it on a chair. Then he took off his watch and the ring Suisui asked him to wear and put them in his pocket, and finally returned them to
The phone turned on silent mode, and then looked at the old man on the bed again.
They nodded slightly to each other, and Wei Ran played the first qin piece he knew, Guangling San, again.
This is obviously a piece of music with a lively and passionate melody and full of murderous spirit, but the centenarian who is dying on the bed has a drop of muddy tears falling from the corner of his eyes.
, moved it to the open photo album beside the pillow. Obviously, he must have thought of something from this music.
Compared with the memories that had been reluctant to let go for a long time, this piano music finally ended. When the warm bedroom returned to silence, Mr. Tao slowly resumed his lying posture, closed his eyes and murmured softly, "Nothing."
It's a pity, this piece of Guangling San is enough, it's so good... This piano skill is completely worthy of Youquan's bed."
"Old man, is there anything else I can do?" Wei Ran asked after smoothing the strings.
"Come here." Mr. Tao waved with great effort, and Wei Ran quickly stood up, holding the guqin Youquan and sitting on the bed again.
"Do you remember when I wanted to spend 5 million to buy this piano?" Mr. Tao asked, placing his hands covered with age spots on the strings.
"Remember"
Wei Ran nodded, and when he was about to say something, Mr. Tao said, "I am about to die. No matter how much I like this guqin, it is still a thing outside my body. Besides, even if I get this guqin, I can't do it.
Li Shimin was buried with himself in the Lanting Collection Preface.
However, little friend Wei Ran, for the sake of a dying person, I still want to shamelessly ask you for two things."
"Mr. Tao, please speak," Wei Ran said seriously.
"It is said in the Tibetan Qin Record that the four strings of Youquan's qin are particularly powerful. After I die, how about you take off the strings and leave them for me to think about?" Mr. Tao said what he wanted.
The first thing you want.
"no problem"
Wei Ran simply nodded in agreement. Sui Xin usually played the piano in the library with the best strings he could find. Since the old man wanted it, he gave it to him.
Mr. Tao turned his head to look at the piano case that Wei Ran put aside with great effort, then slowly moved his gaze to Wei Ran's face and said, "The piano case that holds Youquan is from the huanghuali strips that my father dismantled at home.
It’s made of eucalyptus. Children, Weiran, I want this piano case to be used as an urn for my ashes after my death, are you willing to do so?”
"There is nothing to be reluctant to part with." Wei Ran smiled and said in a gentle tone, "The piano case is easy to get, but the piano fanatic is hard to find."
"Qin fanatic? What a piano fanatic..." Mr. Tao took a breath, tried to cheer up and asked, "I heard that kid from Luo Xiang said that you can also play a drunken song?"
"Yes." Wei Ran nodded, "I recently learned a piece of Liezi Yufeng. If you want to hear it, I can play it all again."
"Can you let them listen too?"
Mr. Tao asked, "That kid Luo Xiang doesn't have any talent in playing the piano, but his father Guang Ling has some talent. Unfortunately, he ends up being just as mediocre as me..."
"Teacher Chen once said that Guqin pleases oneself"
Wei Ran smiled and replied, "Since you are playing it for yourself, what does it matter if you do nothing?"
"You kid are more open-minded than me." Mr. Tao waved his hand with difficulty, "Go ahead and tell them to come in."
"Wait a minute," Wei Ran said and glanced at the monitor again, then stood up, opened the door and raised the curtain.
"Mr. Liu? Teacher Chen?" Wei Ran only shouted twice, and the door of another room diagonally opposite was opened by Chen Luoxiang from the inside.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Mr. Tao asked everyone to come over," Wei Ran said, pointing to the door behind him that he had locked behind him.
At his greeting, Chen Luoxiang was the first to come out and help lift the cotton curtain. Then, his master Mr. Liu and Chen Guangling came out one after another.
However, what surprised Wei Ran was that behind these people, there were actually three young men and women in formal attire, with party emblems and an upside-down breastplate hanging on their chests.
The youngest one among the three people was carrying a SLR camera with a stand installed. The other two were each carrying a computer bag.
Since Mr. Liu and Chen Guangling's family were not introduced, Wei Ran wisely did not ask any more questions, but politely let these people into Mr. Tao's room.
While Mr. Tao was whispering into Mr. Liu's ear, the three men and women in formal attire also went around to the other side of the hospital bed, set up their SLR cameras, and pointed the camera at Mr. Tao on the bed. Then the three of them took a few steps back and stood.
It's in the corner of this room.
After a moment of preparation, Mr. Liu sat on the side of the bed. With the help of Chen Guangling, he lifted Mr. Tao, who insisted on sitting up, and leaned against the wall at the head of the bed.
Seeing Mr. Tao looking at him, Wei Ran nodded, placed the guqin Youquan again on the piano table, sat down cross-legged, and seriously played the second piece he knew - "Jiu Kuang".
Amidst the chaotic and hazy music, Mr. Tao and Mr. Liu, who was supporting him, looked at each other, and then returned their attention to Wei Ran's hands playing the piano.
When the song ended, Wei Ran paused briefly and then directly played Liezi Yufeng. At this time, the faces of Mr. Liu and Chen Guangling and his son were already full of surprise, but Mr. Tao, on the other hand, was relaxed.
He frowned and slowly closed his eyes.
"drop--"
Almost at the same time that Wei Ran finished playing the song Liezi Yufeng, the detector on the bedside table also showed a horizontal line representing the end.
"Old Tao? Old Tao? Uncle Tao?" Mr. Liu, who was over sixty years old, called softly several times, but the old man leaning against the wall never opened his old eyes again.
"Liezi rode the wind, Leng Ranshan was good." Chen Guangling sighed, "The old man probably also rode the wind and left."
Mr. Liu wiped the corners of his eyes and said, "Niece-in-law, go to the room just now and get the shroud. Guangling and I will put it on for the old man. Luo Xiang, go get a basin of hot water."
"Hey! I'll go right away." Chen Guangling's wife responded, wiped the corners of her eyes, and left the room first with her son Chen Luoxiang.
Watching the mother and son leave the room, Wei Ran stood up, picked up the guqin and placed it next to Mr. Tao. He carefully removed the fourth string of the guqin, folded it in half, and gently
It was tied to Mr. Tao's wrist.
He took out the piano case and carefully cleaned out the cushioning sponge and residual glue. Wei Ran also placed the box at Mr. Tao's feet.
When Chen Luoxiang and his mother brought the hot water and shrouds, Mr. Liu said, "Comrade Xiao Yang, please read Mr. Tao's will. I will cause trouble to you."
"You're welcome"
Among the three young men in formal attire, the oldest one agreed politely, and at the same time, together with her other two companions, they turned the badge hanging on their chest to the front in unison.
, Comrade Xiao Yang also put on a pair of white silk gloves and took the stack of documents handed over by his companion.
"Should I go out for a while first?" Wei Ran asked promptly.
"Stay and listen." Mr. Liu asked Wei Ran to stay.
"I will read out Comrade Tao Canhua's last will and testament."
Comrade Xiao Yang, who was targeted by the camera, paused for a moment and read aloud, "In accordance with Comrade Tao Canhua's last will and testament:
My name is Tao Canhua. I was born in 1920. I am over 100 years old this year. I was of sound mind when I made the will and was accompanied by a government notary. Since I am old and don’t have much time left, I made this will to express my concern for my posthumous affairs and property.
willingness to deal with it.
1. After the death, there will be no mourning, no banquet, no condolence from anyone, the body will be cremated, and the ashes will be buried in the ancestral grave by Comrade Liu Buzhuo, without the need to erect a monument or sweep.
Second, all the books and music scores collected during his lifetime, totaling 348 volumes in seven book boxes, were all donated to Comrade Chen Guangling.
Third, there were a total of 47 pieces of Qin wood collected during his lifetime, of which 40 pieces were given to Comrade Liu Buzhuo and 7 pieces were given to his disciple Chen Luoxiang.
Fourth, a set of real estate owned by him during his lifetime was given to Comrade Wei Ran free of charge as a token of gratitude for being buried with the piano strings and the piano box. I hope that the kindness will be appreciated and that there will be spirits in Youquan who treat the old house kindly.
Fifth, there is another deposit of .51 yuan, which is used to pay for notarization fees, cremation, transportation and other expenses. The remaining balance is donated anonymously to the China Children and Teenagers Foundation."
After a short pause, Comrade Xiao Yang, who read out the will, continued, "This will is in quadruplicate. It has been faired by the Heping District Notary Office. The content is true, legal and valid. The notaries are Yang Mengmeng, Zhang Zichao and Liu Ning."
After the woman read out the entire contents of the will in a serious manner, Wei Ran looked at Chen Guangling's family and Mr. Liu in surprise, who seemed not surprised by this.
"Mr. Tao called me before and said that if you are willing to give him the piano case as a coffin for his eternal rest after death, he will repay this kindness by giving you this house."
Chen Guangling sighed and explained, "He also said that when he was a child, he often used the Youquan bed in this house to practice Guangling San.
He sincerely hopes that you can take over this house, come here when you have time, and play Guangling San with Youquan."
Another job as a tombkeeper...
Wei Ran sighed secretly. After hesitating for a moment, he finally took out the pen from the metal book under the cover of his pocket and signed his name on each of the four wills.
When Mr. Liu and Chen Luoxiang in the room also signed their names, Mr. Liu waved his hand and said, "Luo Xiang, niece-in-law, you can take Wei Ran to the next door to have a rest. Comrade Xiao Yang, it's also troublesome.
You guys, I've prepared grapefruit leaf water in the next room, go wash your hands. Guangling, let's change Mr. Tao's clothes."
"I'll stay too," Wei Ran said. "Even if I can't help, I can still give Mr. Tao a few more bullets of Guangling Powder."
"Okay, then just stay." Mr. Liu nodded and agreed.
After the others left the room, Wei Ran sat down at the piano table again, using the Guqin Youquan, which was missing a string, to play an incomplete piece of Guangling San over and over again.
After working for more than half an hour, Mr. Liu and Chen Guangling helped Mr. Tao wipe his body and put on a dark blue gown. The photo album originally placed on the bedside was also put into the empty piano case.
.
After handing over the task of holding the piano case to Mr. Liu, Wei Ran bent down and easily picked up the tall and thin old man on the bed. Chen Guangling led him downstairs and finally put him into a van that seemed to belong to a funeral parlor.
.
Watching Mr. Liu and Chen Luoxiang disappear at the end of the street with the funeral home's car, Wei Ran turned his head and glanced at the unknown big tree in the yard. In the cold winter wind, a golden leaf fell from the tree.
It swirled and fell, finally landing in Wei Ran's outstretched palm.
"It turns out to be a ginkgo tree..." Wei Ran sighed with regret and put the fallen leaf into his pocket.
